Houston Senior Becomes First Black Valedictorian in School’s 119-Year History

A high school senior in Houston, Texas is making history as the first Black valedictorian in his school’s 119-year history. Kellin McGowan will graduate at the top of his class at St. Thomas High School with a 4.57 GPA.

“The guys here are really competitive academically,” Principal Aaron Dominguez told KHOU. “They support each other. They hold each other up, but they’re also vying to be the very, very best.” Dominguez did not immediately respond to The North Star’s request for comment.

St. Thomas is a Roman Catholic college preparatory school for young men that was founded in 1900. The first Black student enrolled at the school in the early 1940s, FOX 26 Houston reported.

Kellin told reporters that he was surprised when he learned he was valedictorian for the class of 2019. “It’s crazy to think about…

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